Dunkin' Plans To Close 800 Stores After Revenue Tumble: Patch PM

Today is Thursday, July 30. Here are some of the top stories we are covering today.

About 800 Dunkin' locations could permanently close nationwide by the end of the year in what the company called "real estate portfolio rationalization."

The company announced the potential closures Thursday, which would include the 450 limited-menu Speedway locations previously slated to be shuttered.

The Canton-based company said the 800 locations would represent about 8 percent of its locations in the United States and 2 percent of the company's total stateside revenue.

While most Dunkin' locations remained opened — at lease for drive-thru service — during the coronavirus crisis, the company said sales were down 18.7 percent year over year in the second quarter. The company also closed 229 locations worldwide in the second quarter, including 180 mostly international Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops.

Read the full story here.

Other top stories

400 Packages Of Unsolicited Seeds From China Reported In Massachusetts

Massachusetts residents have reported receiving about 400 packages of unsolicited seeds as part of unsolicited deliveries reported nationwide from China.

The USDA said Tuesday that it "is aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China."

During his Thursday press conference, Gov. Charlie Baker issued a warning to the state's residents about the seeds.

Hingham Firefighters Remove 'Thin Blue Line' Flags From Trucks

The "Thin Blue Line" flags that have been the center of a dispute between members of the Hingham firefighters union and town officials for the past week were removed from fire apparatus Thursday morning.

Hingham Firefighters Local 2398 said its members joined with Weymouth police officers, Weymouth firefighters and other first responders and removed the flags that the union said were a tribute to late Weymouth Sgt. Michael Chesna on the two-year anniversary of his in-the-line-of-duty shooting death last week.

"We were aware of an impending order to remove the flags from the apparatus that would be given to members on duty," the union posted on its Facebook page Thursday. "We did not want to risk the chance of having these flags removed from the trucks in a disrespectful manner. The decision was made to remove the flags on our own terms to provide the highest level of respect that they deserve."

Also

5 Shootings In Worcester During Overnight Hours

Worcester police said officers were alerted to the shootings via the department's ShotSpotter gunfire detection equipment.

Suspect Sought In Quincy Overnight Holiday Inn Shooting: Police

Quincy police said they found a victim with a gunshot wound in the leg about 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

2 Marlborough Price Chopper Employees Positive For Coronavirus

The two employees, and others they were in contact with, are being paid while under quarantine, the company said.